Fence



AUM 29, 1950 c. D. HARRIS 2,520,314

FENCE Filed April 27, 194s l l a m., i

Patented Aug. 29, 1950 UNITED S TATES t OFFICE FENCE Clarence D. Harris,lngIeWOOd, Calif. Appiicatlion Aprile?, lciaserial No. 23,560 claims.(o1. 25e-Tg2) The present invention relates generally to fences and to anew and -novel method of fence fabrication. More specifically theinventiongcoinprises an improved prefabricated picket fence in which thepickets are adjustably locked in `place upon `their supporting railsthemselves supported" I for angular adjustment upon posts to enable thefence to conform to the ground contour; ,and to a method by which suoh`a fence is made.

Picket fences are barriers and must tbe-suitable from the functional andfrom the appearance standpoints. The original picket fencelwasrrnade ofwood but today they arereadily fabricated of light-weight metal. Whileearlier wooden fences `were assembled upon the permanent site `massproduction methods make desirable the fabri-` t `is another object ofthe invention to provide l an improved metallic picket fence.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a new and improvedpicket fence in which the pickets are adjustably locked in place topermit relative tilting movement so that the fence` t may conform to thecurvature of the supporting terrain.

A further object of the invention is to provide a new and improvedpicket fence in which the pickets are locked in place by struck-out tabsin the fence rail, and to a `method by which such a fence ,isconstructed. i

These and other more specic objects `will appear upon reading thefollowing specification and claims and upon considering in connectiontherewith the attached drawing to which they relate.

Referring now to the drawing in which a preferred embodiment of theinvention is illustrated:

Figure 1 is a front elevation of a section of a picket fence constructedin accordance with the present invention;

Figure 2 is a partial horizontal section upon the line 2-2 of Figure lillustrating the angularly adjustable mounting at the supporting post;

Figure 3 is a vertical section through the railsupporting bracket uponthe line 3 3 of Figure l Figure fi is an enlarged perspective showing ofthe relationship between a locking tab on the fence rail and a picket;

,Figure 5 isa partial horizontal section in a `fencefrail showing theVinitialstep inthe method of `fabrication in `which the locking tabs arestruck out `Figure 6 illustrates the second step inthe method `offabrication `in which the picket is positioned against the rail andbelow the tabs;

and

`liligure l `is a section similar to Figures 5 and 6 `and shows `thethird `step in the method of fabrication in which the tabs are `deformedby a force sufficient tolook adjustably the Apicket in place. Referringagain to the drawing, a portion of a fence constructed in accordancewith a preferred embodiment of the invention is illustrated and is seento comprise a vertically extending post 2li,

preferably but not necessarily `U-sectioned, eX-

tending into the supporting ground and carrying a pair of splitclampunits i2 each of `which is composed of opposed U-sectioned members:i3 and i4, the back of the former contacting `the post l l. `A bolt`itextends through the clamp elements i3 and ifi, its headed outer endabutting the` outer face of member lll, and itsthreaded`endeatending.through a slot ilinthe post :il to seat `a .nut ixwhich,when tightened, draws the i clamping 4unit against i the post.

"Ulsectioned open-sided rails i9 of slightly smaller height than theinterior vertical dimensions of the clamp elements i3 andV id @extendinto the clamping units i2 tobefsupportedthereby, their adjacent `endsbeing positionecly upon 4opposite sides'ofthe bolt it. The rail issuinciently smaller than the clamp as to permit limited tiltingmovement, as `indicated in lthe dotted lines in "Figure 1. At `spacedintervals along the rail are pickets, indicated generally by thereference character 2li," each picket `comprising a central JV- shapedportion 2i, ,at the edges `o f which are flat marginal` portions orflanges 22.

as` is` clearly illustratedin Figure l, `pickets Bil `extend`between`and beyond the spaced rails i9, the spacing of the latter being a matterof choice and varying with the design of the fence. Each picket isretained in place relative to each rail i9 by means of overlying tabs 26which are pressed from the face of the rail at spaced intervals andsubsequently flattened, as will now be described.

Referring now to Figures 5 to 7, inclusive, the method by which thepickets are locked to the rails I 9 is disclosed. Each rail is punchedto provide integral tabs 23 which extend outwardly of and parallel tothe forward face of the rail. The

rail may have a length of 8, 10 or 12 feet or more, and these tabs arepreferably punched simultaneously, although this is not essential. Afterthe tabs have been punched the upper and lower rails I9 are positionedat the proper distance apart, each picket 20 is threaded into its properposition relative thereto, portions of its side marginal edges orflanges 22 underlying the tabs 26. This relationship is illustrated inFigure 6. When so positioned the tabs 26 are flattened by a blow orpunching operation and with sufficient force as to deform them fromtheir initial contour, illustrated in Figures and 6, to the flattenedcondition shown in Figure 7. The force is suicient that the underlyingportions of the ange 22 of the picket are deformed and depressed intothe openings left in the rail when the tabs were pressed therefrom. Thetabs 26 may be deformed individually or, preferably, all the tabs ineachrail section are deformed simultaneously to lock all of the pickets inposition, this last being preferable from the standpoint of massproduction economy.

The assembly and use of the picket fence fabricated in accordance withthe present invention is believed to be clear. The post II is first setin the ground and the clamping units I2 positioned thereon by the boltI6. The sections of fence, comprising the rails I9 and the pickets 20,are positioned relative to the posts, the ends of the rails I9 extendinginto clamps I2, which may then be tightened by the manual rotation ofthe nuts I8 until the rails are fixed relative to the post. In the eventthat the terrain is uneven and it is necessary to slope the fence therails I9 can be tilted in their seats in the clamp I2, as for example,from the full line to the dotted line position illustrated at the rightof the post in Figure 1. While the tabs 26 firmly lock the picketsagainst longitudinal displacement, they permit limited angular rotationor pivotal movement, the Width of the pickets 2I being sufiiciently lessthan the spacing between the inner surface of the tabs 26 as to makethis adjustment possible. The construction makes it possible tofabricate the fence at the factory, transport it to location andposition it, variations in slope and contour of the ground being readilyaccommodated. V

While the particular apparatus herein shown and described in detail isfully capable of attaining the objects and providing the advantageshereinbefore stated, it is to be understood that it is merelyillustrative of the presently preferred embodiments of the invention andthat no limitations are intended to the details of construction ordesign herein shown other than as dened in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a fence of the type having a vertical post and a rail with its endtiltably supported at said post, a picket extended transversely of saidrail,

and an integral tab struck out from said rail pressing, withoutpenetration said picket against the side of said rail, the edge of thepicket retained by said tab being spaced slightly from the line ofattachment of the tab to said rail to permit limited angular adjustmentof the picket.

2. In a fence of the type having a vertical post and a rail with its endtiltably supported at said post, a picket extended transversely of saidrail, and opposed integral tabs struck out from said rail positionedupon opposite sides of said picket and pressing it, by surface contactwithout penetration, against said rail, the width of the picket beingslightly less than the space between the tabs at their lines ofattachment to the rail, whereby limited angular adjustment of thepickets with reference to the rail is permitted.

3. The construction recited in claim 2 characterized in that said tabsextend suiflciently beyond the side edges of said picket to enable saidpicket to be adjusted angularly relative thereto. l

4. The construction recited in claim 2 characterized in that said railis formed with a plurality of apertures over which extend integral tabsand in that said picket is formed with a flange having depressedportions extended into said apertures and prevented from displacementtherefrom by said tabs.

5. A fence section comprising parallel rails formed with spaced pairs ofapertures and integral tabs extended thereover in spaced relationship,the tabs of each pair of apertures facing toward each other, spacedpickets extending transversely across said rails and formed withintegral flanges having depressed portions extended into said aperturesand prevented from displacement therefrom by said tabs, characterized inthat said tabs contact said pickets without penetration and the picketsincluding said flanges are of slightly less width than the distancebetween the tabs at their line of attachment, to enable said depressedportions to make limited relative adjustment in said apertures and saidpickets to make limited angular adjustment relative to said rails.

CLARENCE D. HARRIS.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS France Feb. 6, 1909 Certicate of Correction PatentNo. 2,520,314: August 29, 1950 CLARENCE D. HARRIS It is hereby certifiedthat error appears in the printed specicaton of the above numberedpatent requiring correction es follows:

Column 4, line 2, after the Word penetration insert a comme;

and that the said Letters Patent should be read as corrected above, sothat the Same may conform to the record of the ease n the Patent Office.

Signed and sealed this 12th day of December, A. D. 1950.

[SEAL] THOMAS F. MURPHY,

Assistant Uommz'ssz'oner of Patents.

